15 years later Cleveland woman may find closure in rape case

Fifteen years after a Cleveland woman was attacked and raped on her way home from a bar on the East Side, a big crack in the case may finally bring some closure.

The victim did not wish to be identified; however, thanks to a recent DNA match on her rape kit, another local rapist may soon be behind bars.

"It's been scary. I gave up on it after years and not knowing what was going to happen," she explained. "When the detective came and told me that they found the person, and we were going to go forward … it's a big sense of relief."

It's a sense of closure Cuyahoga County prosecutors hope more rape victims will soon have as DNA matches continue to pour in through a statewide initiative.

So far the Cleveland Police Department has sent more than 1,400 old rape kits to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which has led to 55 indictments and 10 convictions.

Investigators are also now making 19 cases from 1993 a priority as their 20-year statute of limitations deadline approaches.